On the Siachen Glacier, 1998

by Harish Kapadia

Part 4: The Indira Col

Map: Shaksgam Valley (43 kb)
(click thumbnail to view larger image)

1. The main Indira Col (west) is located at the foot of the eastern ridge descending from Sia Kangri. It is here, exactly, the heads of the Siachen and Urdok glaciers meet. This col was recorded to have been reached by Col. N. Kumars team in 1981 and again by the Americans in 1986. The northern sections from this Col are overhanging and it is not possible to descend in the north from here or from India Saddle.

2. On the same ridge a point of 6000 m is erroneously marked on the present map as Indira Col. It is a steep saddle and by no imagination can be called a col (Col is the lowest point on a ridge). It is not known how and when this point came to be associated as Indira col and who reached it first. But at present all the teams from the army and others reach this Saddle. We propose to call this point as India Saddle. It is the northernmost point of India at present (being few "seconds" further north of the true Indira Col (West).

3. On the ridge further east lies the Indira Col (East) which was reached by Bullock-Workman expedition in 1912. This col is located on the head of a minor valley rising from the Siachen glacier. It is possible to descend to the north from this col into a side valley of the Urdok glacier.

4. The easternmost pass on this ridge is Turkestan La (North). It is an easy pass on both the sides and this was reached in 1889 by Col. Younghusband.

5. The ridge turns south from here. Little to the south Turkestan La (East) is located.